Chibok Girls and Unanswered Questions, 1,5 Year Later (Pt 2)

Date: 2015-09-10

Editor's note: In his recent interview to BBC Hausa, President Muhammadu Buhari reworded his concern about the still-missing Chibok girls, revealing the army's official assessment of the girls' destinies. Naij.com contributor, Dr Deborah Nelson, says the whole story, which is a year-and-a-half old, raises more questions than it provides answers.

Female students of GGSS, Chibok

Some of the girls who allegedly escaped from BHIJ captivity were interviewed by Al Jazeera and CNN correspondents at various times, but none of them could speak the English language. One of the girls claimed that BHIJ used only two trucks to convey them that night.

If these girls are the real students in question, were they going to write SSSE in the Hausa language? Is it possible to use only two trucks to successfully transport 234 girls and food stuff to Sambisa Forest that night?

The Ezekwesilis

On 11 September 2001, the Twin Towers in the USA were brought down by Islamist jihadists. Almost 3,000 people were killed, along with the 19 terrorists. On 7 July 2005, they bombed underground trains and a bus in Central London, killing 56. It took the USA, the most powerful nation in the world, years to eliminate Osama bin Laden, the alleged mastermind of 9/11. During those years, no opposition political party, social commentator or non-governmental organization aligned with the Islamic jihadists to malign the US government and the armed forces.

Does it mean that, by rallying round their governments and the armed forces to confront the Islamic jihadists, opposition political parties, social critics and non-governmental organizations in the UK and USA are not as patriotic as the Ezekwesilis?

Led by supposedly educated Nigerians, such as Obi Ezekwesili, the Bring Back Our Girls campaign embarked on daily condemnation of the Jonathan's administration and the military for failing to rescue the girls.

As far as the Ezekwesilis were concerned, Governor Shettima has no case to answer, hence they never made any attempt to question the circumstances surrounding the alleged abduction. Their primary objective was to use the alleged abduction to comprehensively denigrate Jonathan's administration and promote Buhari's candidacy.

Like Daniel Kanu and Authur Nzeribe, who used Youth Earnestly Yearn for Abacha, and Association for a Better Nigeria respectively to sheepishly campaign for HF hegemonic agenda, Madam Obi Ezekwesili followed the inglorious footsteps of her kinsmen to use the BBOG platform to campaign for the same purpose.

The Ezekwesilis' campaign of calumny against GEJ was so helpful that Chief Audu Ogbe publicly acknowledged BBOG's contributions at Eagles Square, Abuja, in October 2014, during Buhari's declaration to re-contest.

As expected, Ezekwesili and her cohort have run out of steam since the swearing-in of Buhari on 29 May 2015. Now that the BBOG is a shadow of itself, has Buhari rescued the Chibok girls, or was it a HF campaign outfit as acknowledged by Chief Audu Ogbe? In appreciation for BBOG's support, a co-founder of BBOG, Hadiza Bala-Usman had since been appointed chief of staff and member of Buhari's Anti-Corruption Advisory Committee by Mallam El-Rufai and Buhari respectively. Though Buhari seems to detest the Igbos with a passion, it is hoped that Ezekwesili's loyalty to HF hegemonic agenda will convince him to find something for her, however small.

The January 16th bravado

After the APC presidential campaign rally in Maiduguri on 16 January 2015, Buhari insisted on visiting the Chibok village. He reluctantly aborted the journey when he realized that the military were not prepared to provide adequate security.

If Buhari's desire was not a political grandstanding, why has he not visited the village or anywhere in the North-East, in spite of the fact that BHIJ have killed thousands since 29 May 2015? Why has he not abandoned the comfort of Aso Rock Villa and relocated to the North-East to lead the battle against BHIJ from the front, as he promised during the campaign?

May God grant us the Grace to see with our eyes, but not with our minds.

In April 2014, hundreds of young schoolgirls have been abducted by Boko Haram from the Government girls' secondary school in Chibok. The shocking news, and subsequent "proof videos" released by Boko Haram, drew global attention, with many foreign governments offering their help in order to facilitate the release of the girls.

With the clock ticking, theories and strategies were forged both by officials and ordinary Nigerians concerning the girls' whereabouts, possible fates. Some of the girls managed to escape their captors and have granted interviews to international news outlets.

To this day, skeptics find new "evidence" to substantiate the fact that no abduction took place in the dormitories of the Chibok girls' school. Their opponents, most notably, the #BringBackOurGirls initiative, are unrelenting in reminding the world of the issue. A year and a half later, the interest for the global Chibok girls-oriented campaign has subsided, but the movement still exists, and the new Nigerian government, and army do have the girls on their mind.

Dr Nelson is writing from Ilorin, Kwara state.

Source

 

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Hassan Oyeleke     Bolaji Abdullahi     Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission     Bankole Omishore     Isiaka Oniwa     Kawu     Olushola Saraki     Adegoke Bamidele     Yunus Lawal     Toun Okewale-Sonaiya     Kola Adesina     KWAFFA     Kunle Akogun     Idris Amosa Saidu     Ahmad Uthman     Saudat Abdulbaqi     Saka Isau     Olokoba Sulyman     Oke-Oyi     Ramadan     Suraj Tunji Oyewale     Ahmad Belgore     Saka Onimago     Yusuf Abdulraheem     Ayoade Akinnibosun     Adisa Logun     Abdulmumini Sanni Jawondo     Ilorin West     Kwarareports.com     Earlyon Technologies     Muyiwa Oladipo Kanu     Alapado     National Democratic Congress     Tanke Road     Christopher Odetunde     Funmilayo Isiaka Oniwa     Kisra     Kwara NIPR     Tsado Manman     Toyin Falola     Chief Imam Of Lafiagi     Abdullahi Adisa Akodudu     Kwabes     Saheed Popoola     Victor Gbenga Yusuf     Innocent Okoye     NITDA     JMK Construction Company Limited     Awili Pedro     Haruna Tambiri Mohammed     Oyun     Kwara State Geographic Information Service     Yusuf Abdulwahab     Alanamu     Moses Salami     Tunde Oyawoye     Ahman Pategi     Democracy Day     Oluwole Dupe     Offa     Ethical College     Taofik Abiodun Ahmed     Alabi Olayemi Abdulrazak     JSSCE     Oba Abdulkadir La\'aro     Erubu     Olabanji Orilonishe     Young Progressives Party     David Adesina     Chikanda     Eghe Igbinehin     Computer Based Test     Michael Nzwekwe     Bature Bello     Imam Gambari     Mohammed Abduraheem     Read With Me    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Yusuf Aiyedun     YAKOOYO     IsDB     Centre For Community Empowerment And Poverty Eradication     Falokun-Oja     Ejidongari     Clement Yomi Adeboye     Bolakale Kawu Agaka     The Herald     Ilofa     SWAN     Ndama Al-hassan     Kwara Liberation Group     Pakata Patriots     Nupe     Tunde Mukaila Mustapha     KWASEIC     Ahmed Saidu Rufai     Hassan Abdulazeez Elewu     Bukola Ajikobi     Tope Daramola     Aisha Ahman Pategi     Federal Allocation     Gambari     Ohoro Of Shao     Sulyman Tejidini     Amusement Park     Sayomi     Student Learning Support Helpline     Olanrewju Okanlawon Musa     Abatemi Usman     Coronavirus     Aliyu Alhassan     Valsolar Consortium     Alapado     Adisa Logun     Amuda Bembe     Tosho Yaqub     Egbewole     Olabode George Towoju     Hassan Saliu     Maigida Soludero Transit     Taofik Mustapha     SUBEB     Saliu Alamoyo     Bilikisu Gambari     Albert Ogunsola     Minister     Afolasade Opeyemi Kemi     Mohammed Jimoh Faworaja     Bello Taoheed Abubakar     Muftau Akanbi Oke     Tinubu Legacy Forum     Shururat Olatinwo     Salihu Ajibola Ajia     11th Galadima     ENetSuD     Oasis Muslim Care Foundation     KWTV     Imam Gambari     Popo-Igbonna     Muritala Olarewaju     08001000100     Orire     Kwara TV     Kwara Poly     Isiaka Yusuf     Ibrahim Abdulqadir Abikan     Mufti Of Ilorin     Chemiroy Nigeria Limited     Toyin Olayinka Tejidini     Dumagi     Siraj Oyewale     General Hospital, Offa     Medinat Folorunsho Salman     Woro     Razaq Ayobami Akanbi